The invention relates to an apparatus for handling or treating metals and/or metal compounds preferably under vacuum, and more particularly to the distillation of metals and/or metallic compounds e.g. metal oxides. In the course of this, a metallic compound to be reduced, for example, is brought into contact with a baser metal. After heating up to the reaction temperature, the reduction takes place under vacuum. The temperature is above the boiling point of the metal being formed so that, after the process, this is present in vapour form and must then be condensed.
Installations for the distillation of metals and/or metallic compounds are known wherein there is a condenser above the reaction vessel. The metal condensed in this then has to be removed mechanically. This operation is laborious and in addition it represents a separate operation during which the whole process is interrupted.